


Kataang Week 2018: Intertwined

by TheBakingQueen



Series: Kataang Week 2018 [6]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Kataang Week, Kataang Week 2018, Long, One Word Prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:14:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28550697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBakingQueen/pseuds/TheBakingQueen
Summary: 10 years since Sozin's Comet, 10 years of being endgame, 10 days of prompts, 1 Anniversary: July 19th. Kataang Week 2018 Prompt 6: Intertwined.Katara realizes what Gran Gran meant when she said their destinies were intertwined. How her feelings for him evolved over time.
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar)
Series: Kataang Week 2018 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2059983
Kudos: 7





	Kataang Week 2018: Intertwined

**Author's Note:**

> Day 6: Intertwined! Italics are thoughts, bold (except for A/N's) are to give you an idea of the setting, time, etc. Feel free to PM me and tell me if I made any grammar mistakes with the tense. I was originally going to have this be past tense, but I realized Katara's thoughts would've been present tense so I had to change the whole frickin' story. Anyways, enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: The chance of me owning A:TLA is the same and the chance that Sokka will ever give up meat.
> 
> For the record, this took ages to write because I had to go through (literally all of) the ATLA transcripts, episodes, etc. to get the direct quoting.

**Katara POV (With Some Parts As Normal POV But Are Way Less So I Won't Bother To Put The Little Notice of POV Change In)**

**100 AG**

**Southern Water Tribe**

**"The Avatar Returns"**

"Now your destinies are intertwined with his," Gran Gran says as we leave the Southern Water Tribe.

My eyebrows furrowed.

_"Intertwined? I wouldn't go that far. I've only known Aang for a few hours, how could our 'destinies be intertwined'? I mean, we just have to rescue him, go to the North Pole to learn waterbending, and then we'll go our separate ways, right? It's not as if we'll get married, or anything drastic..."_

I shake the thoughts from my head, thinking nothing of it, and focus on getting Aang back.

After about 30 minutes of flying, Sokka and I see the Fire Nation ship up ahead and catch up with it. We battle with the crew on board, but manage to rescue Aang, encasing 3 soldiers and part of the hull in ice in the process.

Once we're sure that we lost them, we start heading towards the Southern Air Temple on our way to the Northern Water Tribe.

* * *

**Southern Air Temple**

**"The Southern Air Temple"**

We're on our way to the Southern Air Temple, and Aang seems really excited about going home. Sokka and I try to lay him down gently on how maybe the Air Nomads are extinct and not there anymore, but he isn't convinced.

We explore the temple, marveling in the fact that we are probably the first Water Tribe to ever be at an Air Temple, and eventually find a lemur, which leads to us chasing it, until we discover what I had been dreading the whole time...

There was a room, full of skeletons, and the one in the center, Aang's guardian, Monk Gyatso, evidently murdered by the firebender skeletons surrounding him.

Aang is devastated, and I pity him. This shouldn't be what he has to wake up to: him having to stop a hundred year war and the last of his kind.

His tattoos and eyes start glowing, as if he's possessed, and starts destroying everything in sight.

I try to calm him down, telling him that Sokka and I are his family now, and I mean it, even if I surprise myself by the confession.

I realize that Gran Gran was right in saying that our destinies were intertwined. Even after only a few days of knowing him, I care for him deeply, and feel a need to protect him from every cruel, evil truth of the real world. He already means the world to me.

* * *

**Kyoshi Island**

**"The Warriors of Kyoshi"**

The three of us decide to take another break on our way to the Northern Water Tribe, and are captured by a group of girls that call themselves the 'Kyoshi Warriors' after we land on their island.

At first they think we're Fire Nation spies, but after realizing that Aang is the Avatar, they let us go, Aang gaining the attention of quite a few people, most of them female.

Even if I didn't admit it aloud to him, I _was_ jealous of Aang and those girls, just not for the reason he thinks. I'm jealous because he's spending all that time with those girls, not because of 'how much fun they're having'. I don't know why the fact that he was spending more time with them than me makes me jealous, but it does, and I can't bring myself to explain to Aang why.

* * *

**Earth Kingdom Village**

**"The Storm"**

After a few more days, we arrive in a small Earth Kingdom village, where we realize that we're out of money for food and supplies.

The three of us overhear a fisherman and his wife talking about how the fisherman was willing to hire someone to do the wife's work when she refused to because of a storm, so Sokka asks if he can have the job of loading fish for the fisherman.

The fisherman makes a jab at Aang, saying that the Avatar turned his back on the world. I know that there are many others who think this way, but I can't help feeling enraged at the old man.

_"How dare he accuse a 12-year old of betraying the world! Aang already has enough on his shoulders without the guilt from that and it wasn't his fault! Aang was my friend and I'm not about to let him be insulted or hurt by a random stranger who doesn't know a single thing about him or what he's trying to do!"_

Later that night, while Sokka is with the fisherman, Aang tells me about the day he discovered he was the Avatar.

I'm in shock at how, after his true identity was revealed, he was ostracized and excluded from his friends for something he had absolutely no control over. As if he hadn't been through enough, the monks were planning to take him away from the only home and parental figure he had ever known.

I know that it happened 100 years ago, and that it was the past so I couldn't change it, but at this moment, all I want to do was hug Aang and tell him that everything was going to be okay. _I'm_ going to protect him and keep him safe from hurt, emotional or physical, no matter the cost. He has enough pain and grief in his life already.

* * *

**Makapu Village**

**"The Fortuneteller"**

We arrive next in Makapu Village, a small village in the Earth Kingdom near a volcano called Mt. Makapu, and we hear of and meet a fortuneteller named 'Aunt Wu'. She can predict everything, from the weather to your destiny!

Sokka, Aang, and I watch Aunt Wu do a cloud reading, after getting readings ourselves, and she predicts that Mt. Makapu would not erupt for another year as the whole village cheers.

Sokka and Aang later go up to see the volcano themselves for some reason and according to them, lava is already at the surface of the volcano crater, and it's only a matter of time before Mt. Makapu erupts.

We try to convince everyone, but it doesn't work. The villagers trust Aunt Wu's predictions with their lives.

In a desperate attempt to save them, Aang and I fly up to the clouds on Appa, and bend the air and water in them to create the symbol for volcanic destruction while Sokka convinces Aunt Wu to do another reading. Aunt Wu, seeing the new clouds we made, amended her prediction, sending the whole village into a panic.

The three of us manage to rally up all the villagers, and create a ditch that acts as a barrier which stops the lava from burning down the village.

As Sokka I watch Aang keep the lava at bay, my brother comments, "Man, sometimes I forget what a powerful bender that kid is."

"Wait, what did you just say?" I ask, glimpses of earlier coming back to me.

"Nothing, just that Aang is one powerful bender."

Aunt Wu's words from the fortune she had given me enter my mind.

_"The man you are going to marry... ...I can see is a very powerful bender."_

My eyes widen.

"I suppose he is," I say, wondering if my feelings for Aang went deeper than I had originally thought.

 _"Marrying him certainly ensures that your destinies are intertwined_ ," a little voice inside of me sings.

I blush.

_"Not right now, not during a war."_

* * *

**Somewhere**

**"Bato of the Water Tribe"**

We're walking on the shore, when we find a Water Tribe ship, and along with it, Bato, Dad's best friend.

He invites us to stay and we catch up on what's happened lately, while Bato regales us with some of the many adventures he and Dad had in their younger years. He also tells us that he's expecting a letter from Dad soon.

Some time after, Bato takes us ice dodging, since Sokka never got the chance to go before Dad left, only instead of ice, we have to dodge giant rocks. There were a few close calls, but the three of us pass with flying colors, and earn our marks, where Aang got the mark of the Trusted.

Saying that he wasn't worthy of it, Aang reveals that he intercepted the letter from our father, a map that could lead us right to him!

 _"I can't believe it! The nerve of Aang to keep the map! How dare he! How could he?"_ I think angrily.

Sokka and I decide to leave him to go on his journey himself, while we find our way back to our Dad. Although I'm still pretty mad, I feel hurt and betrayed by what he did, but also guilty that, after all this way, we're abandoning him.

After a few hours of following the map, Sokka and I know that we can't go on anymore. Aang needs us more, and Dad will understand. We can't just leave Aang to finish the mission without us. Besides, there'll be other times when Sokka and I can see him again, when this horrible war is over.

On our way back to Aang, I think, " _If I don't want to leave him, even after he betrayed our trust, m_ _aybe we_ are _supposed to be connected forever..._ "

* * *

**On the Way to Omashu: The Cave of the Two Lovers**

**"The Cave of the Two Lovers"**

After Aang and I had gotten our waterbending training with Master Pakku in the North Pole, the next step was to find an earthbending teacher. While on our mini adventure, we met General Fong, who intended to exploit the Avatar State to win the war, not caring that Aang wasn't himself when he was in it. We got out of there as soon as we could and decided to head to Omashu to find Aang's old friend Bumi.

On our way to Omashu, we meet a group of nomads who tell about a pass that led to Omashu, a secret tunnel. We refuse, since Appa doesn't like going underground, but then out of nowhere, firebenders start attacking us so we make a split-second decision, and take our chances with the pass.

The nomads, Sokka, Aang, and I use a map that keeps leading us to dead ends, until a swarm of wolf bats startle Appa and make him run around when hot torch cinders touch his flesh, causing a cave-in which separates us, Sokka and the nomads on once side, Appa, Aang, and I on the other.

Aang, Appa, and I start walking blindly until we find a door. Appa rams into the door, forcing it open, which reveals a tomb of two lovers, with pictures on the wall which tell us their story.

"They met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages ..." I read aloud, marveling at the artwork.

The painting shows two figures, one in red, one in blue, on top of a mountain.

"The villages were enemies, so they could not be together... but their love was strong and they found a way."

"The two lovers learned earthbending from the badgermoles; they became the first earthbenders."

There's a badgermole, and two people creating a labyrinth.

"They built elaborate tunnels, so they could meet secretly."

"Anyone who tried to follow them would be forever in the labyrinth."

"But, one day, the man didn't come- he'd died in the war between the two villages."

The art depicts a woman alone, looking surprised, and then the same woman crying by a grave.

"Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her earthbending power- she could have destroyed them all ..."

"...but, instead, she declared the war over."

"Both villages helped her build a new city where they would live together in peace."

"The great city was named Omashu as a monument to their love."

" _Whoa,_ " I think.

Aang and I look at each other briefly before turning away.

I read the inscription on the wall, "Love is brightest in the dark."

_"What could that mean?"_

I glance back at Aang and he looks confused as well.

"How are we going to find out way out of these tunnels?"

Like a candle being lit, an idea comes to my mind.

"I have a crazy idea."

"What?"

I suddenly feel very self conscious, thinking of the implications of my idea.

I walk away, "Never mind. It's too crazy."

Aang is insistent, "Katara, what is it?"

I sigh.

"I was thinking. The curse says we'll be trapped in here forever unless we trust in love..."

"Right..."

"And here, it says, "Love is brightest in the dark," and has a picture of them kissing."

"Where are you going with this?"

I blush.

"Well, what if we... kissed?"

I saw Aang's look of confusion morph into shock, as if this was the last thing he expected.

"Us? Kissing?"

"See? It was a crazy idea..."

Aang's face suddenly contorted into a dreamy, wistful expression.

"Us... kissing..."

Aang's mind suddenly filled with millions of scenarios where the two were kissing, some of which were not very appropriate for a monk.

"Us kissing. What was I thinking? Can you imagine _that_?" I say fakely, not meaning my slightly harsh tone.

 _"It's not a horrible idea and you know_ it!" my inner voice says.

" _Shut up!"_ I argue internally.

"Yeah," the airbender nervously and awkwardly laughs, "I definitely wouldn't want to kiss _you_!"

 _"Wouldn't want to kiss_ me _?! What does he mean by that?!"_

"Oh, well! I didn't realize it was such a horrible option. Sorry I suggested it!" I say angrily.

Aang fills with guilt and regret at what he said, his eyes evidence of his thoughts.

His apology, however, doesn't come out the right way either.

"No, no, I mean..." Aang stammers, trying to cover up his mistake, "if there was a choice between kissing you and dying..."

My anger skyrockets at that statement.

"Ugh!"

"What?" he looks so sorry and apologetic, "What I'm saying is I would rather kiss you than die! That's a compliment!"

I glare at him. If looks could kill, his _ghost_ would've already died twice.

"Well, I'm not sure _which_ I'd rather do!"

I stomp off, my inner voice still saying, " _Yes, you are sure. You would kiss him even if it_ wasn't _a life or death choice..."_

" _SHUT UP!"_ I yell at it.

I hear Aang quietly say, dejectedly, "What is _wrong_ with me?"

I'll admit, I feel a little sorry, but he would have to apologize _properly_ first before anything else happened _._

After some time, our torch is at its last leg, ready to burn out.

"We're going to run out of light any second now, aren't we?" Aang says to me, his face glowing in the dim light.

"I think so..." I reply, still slightly angry at him.

"Then what are we going to do?"

"What _can_ we do?"

 _"There's no other choice now!_ " my inner voice (which I was really starting to hate) sang.

I silently walk up to Aang, hold his hand, and lean in as the torch light faded.

Our lips meet in a soft, gentle kiss for a few seconds, before objects on the ceiling light up. We break apart, blushing and embarrassed as an uncomfortable, slightly awkward silence falls over us, our hands still linked, so we do the only thing we could, we stare at the glowing lights above us.

Aang is the first to interrupt the quiet.

"They're made of some kind of crystal. They must only light up in the dark."

Realization hits me like a rock to the head.

"That's how the two lovers found each other."

I gesture upwards.

"They just put out their lights and followed the crystals."

I followe the trail of crystals with my eyes, looking for where it led, until I saw an exit.

"That must be the way out!" I exclaim.

Aang starts saying something but I'm not listening.

"Let's go!"

I run off, Aang and Appa following closely behind.

Since I am slightly ahead of them, I have a couple minutes to reflect on the kiss we had shared.

I absentmindedly touch my lips.

_His were so soft against mine._

I sigh wistfully.

_Like a feather, or a petal._

I sigh again, confused.

Do _I have feelings for him that go deeper than friendship?_

" _Well DUH!"_ my inner voice says obnoxiously, _"You know you liked that kiss!"_

And this time, I don't argue.

Aang and Appa come bounding through the cave exit, startling me, and a few minutes later, we see Sokka and the nomads exit, riding badgermoles like you would polar bear dogs.

We briefly recap how we got out to Sokka and vice versa, excluding the fact that we kissed, say our goodbyes to the nomads, and start making our way to Omashu.

We finally arrive at Omashu, only to discover it covered in the Fire Nation insignia and under Fire Nation rule.

* * *

**On the Way to Ba Sing Se**

**"The Library", "The Desert", "The Serpent's Pass"**

A lot of things have happened since we arrived at Omashu. After discovering the fact that it was under the control of the Fire Nation, we attempted to find King Bumi who had been captured and taken prisoner. We were planning to trade the governor's son for King Bumi, but Azula called off the deal. We managed to rescue Bumi anyway, but he let himself be recaptured, telling Aang that he needed to find an earthbending teacher who 'waits and listens' instead of himself, the King.

We then ended up at a swamp which led us to Aang's earthbending teacher, Toph Beifong, a stubborn, blunt girl that Aang saw in a vision at the swamp. She started teaching Aang earthbending, which took a while for him to get, due to it being his opposite element. We also got chased down by Azula who was tracking us with the fur that Appa shed, and Sokka got trapped with a moose-lion cub for company.

After a few days of traveling like this, we all eventually decided that, to defeat the Firelord, we needed information. We encountered a professor, who told us of a spirit library, hidden deep within the desert, which has an incredibly vast collection of knowledge, just what we needed.

While in the library, Sokka, Aang, and I (books didn't really 'do it' for Toph) learned that there would be an eclipse soon, which would leave all firebenders powerless for all of 8 minutes. However, Wan Shi Tong, the spirit in charge of the library, got angry at us for misusing the information in the library, so he attacked us and started sinking the library.

Toph, who was with Appa, tried to delay the library's sinking so that we could get out, and in doing so, left Appa vulnerable to sandbenders, who took him away to sell. Aang, when we got out, was distraught over the loss of one of his best friends and hasn't been himself lately. I don't remember the last time I saw him smile.

The four of us eventually found a sandglider which led us to one of the sandbender tribes. Toph recognized the son of their tribe leader's voice as one of the people who captured Appa and Aang went into the Avatar State until I was able to calm him down. The guy who took Appa said that he was sold to merchants in Ba Sing Se, so that's where we're headed now in the present day.

We meet a nice couple who are about to have their first child and are hoping to get to Ba Sing Se before the baby is born. However, after we get our ferry tickets with Toph's passport, and meet up with Suki, we discover that the couple's passports and belongings had been stolen, so we offer to help them go through the Serpent's Pass to get to Ba Sing Se.

The sign in front of the entrance to the Serpent's Pass says, "Abandon hope," and Aang actually agrees, saying that hope won't get us Appa or to Ba Sing Se.

_"I hate how Aang actually agrees with it and says that hope wasn't going to do anything._ _I hate seeing him like this, closing himself off to the rest of us and not allowing himself to feel. I wish I could just hug him and say that it will all be okay, but I don't want to have to lie to him, not right now. I just miss and care about my best friend. I want him back."_

* * *

**Ba Sing Se**

**"The Crossroads of Destiny"**

_"No."_

I watch Aang slowly fall from the sky for a split second, tears flowing freely from my eyes, before using all of the waterbending power I have to catch him mid-air.

The world seems to be ending all around me as I listen for a heartbeat on Appa.

Nothing.

 _"The spirit water from the oasis has special properties_ ," I hear from my memories.

Without any hesitation, I take the vial, bend its contents out, and try to heal the raw, red, scarred skin on Aang's back.

I stare in horror as the water stops glowing.

 _"What if he never knows how much I care about him, how much I love him, how much I_ need _him with me?"_

I choke back a sob.

_"What if he's...?"_

Suddenly, Aang's tattoos glow.

I hear a gasp and see him slightly open his eyes and smile, before slipping back into a coma as I cradle his body.

_"Thank you, Raava,_ ** _thank you_ ** _for bringing him back to me."_

* * *

**Fire Nation Town**

**"The Headband"**

After the longest 5 weeks of my life, it finally happened. Aang woke up. However, to say he was shocked was an understatement.

While he was unconscious, Sokka, Toph, my Dad, our other allies, and I managed to capture a Fire Navy ship. We had been using it for the past couple weeks to stay under the radar and disguise our true identities.

Aang, Toph, Sokka, and I eventually separate from the others and take Appa down into Fire Nation territory. We make camp in a cave that's near a small town, and the four of us managed to snag some Fire Nation clothing which allowed us to blend in from a nearby house.

Since we're able to blend in, we decide to go to the market. At the market, some police accuse Aang of skipping school, because he apparently had on a school uniform, leading to him enrolling in a Fire Nation school and getting into a fight with one of the best students.

Sokka and I play, 'Wang and Sapphire Fire', parents to 'Kuzon', during the parent-teacher meeting regarding the fight.

Following that debacle, Aang decides that he wants to throw a dance party to show the Fire Nation kids how to dance and have 'real fun'. He invites a lot of his new 'friends' from the Fire Nation school, including this one girl, On Ji, who I didn't particularly like.

 _"It's because she danced with_ _him..._ " my inner voice says to me.

I mutter, "Stupid inner voice, stupid dance, stupid On Ji, stupid-"

I'm cut off by Aang smiling at me and offering me his hand.

"I don't know, Aang. These shoes aren't really right for dancing, and I-I'm not sure that I know how to-"

Aang just smiles and says, "Take my hand."

I take a deep breath and smile back.

"Okay."

Aang pulls me off to the side and whispers in my ear.

We start circling each other and performing the moves that we had been practicing recently, when I notice where everyone's eyes are.

"Aang, everyone's watching."

"Don't worry about them. It's just you and me right now."

I blush as we continue to go through the steps of the formation. Aang and I start to add some extra moves for flair, like kicks and flips, but end the dance with him dipping me, both of us sweaty and exhausted.

 _"You enjoyed it more than you should've,_ " went the little sing-song voice.

" _So what if I did?"_ I fire back, " _He's my friend."_

_"But you want him to be more..."_

My eyes widen at the accusation.

_"Don't play coy. Why else would you have been jealous when he danced with On Ji?"_

I feel the blood rush to my cheeks.

" _H-he's my friend and I care about him not getting his heart broken by a Fire Nation girl?"_

I knew I already lost. That's a pathetic excuse and even in my own mind, I don't sound convinced.

" _I'm confused..."_

* * *

**"The Day of Black Sun"**

The day of the eclipse finally came. We are going to invade the Fire Nation, defeat the Fire Lord, and restore peace to the world. Simple, right?

I admit, I'm scared for Aang. He's been really sleep deprived lately, with the exception of last night, and has been having nightmares about all sorts of things (and one weird dream about living underwater).

My dad and Sokka just gave a speech on what is supposed to happen today.

There are two stages, one on land, one in the water. To get to the capital, we'll use these machines that are like underwater boats called 'submarines' in order to go right past and under the Great Gates of Azulon. After that, we'll have to get past the battlements and secure the plaza tower. The eclipse should happen soon after that which will allow us to easily make our way up to the Fire Nation Royal Palace where Aang will use the eclipse to his advantage and defeat the Fire Lord.

We get on the boats, which have the submarines below deck, and we initiate the first step of our plan, the land stage.

"There they are, the Great Gates of Azulon," my dad says.

I look ahead, only to find nothing.

"I don't see any gates."

My dad turns to me, "Katara, you and the swamp benders whip up a fog cover."

"We'll sneak by them statues just like we sneak by that Fire Navy blockade!" Tho says.

The swampbenders and I waterbend a thick fog cover, so that the Fire Nation, quite literally, doesn't see us coming.

"Keep it up, we're almost through!" my dad urges.

Out of nowhere, I hear a bell ringing, and see a huge net on fire, rising out of the water. I look ahead and see patrol boats heading towards us.

My dad yells, "Everyone below deck!"

We all go into the submarines as the Fire Nation soldiers search our boats.

The other waterbenders and I use our waterbending to propel the subs forward and beneath the gates.

_"We did it!"_

The submarines have to surface once for air on the way there so the swampbenders and I bring it to the surface before we hit the shore.

Everyone went above deck to stretch as I see Aang joining us on Appa.

"So, this is it huh?" he asks.

My brother responds, "Are you ready for the Fire Nation to know the Avatar is alive?"

"I'm ready."

I watch as the two shake hands before everyone gets together in a group hug.

"I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, Twinkle Toes," Toph says.

"Everyone listen up!" I hear Dad announce as we break apart from the embrace.

"The next time we resurface, it'll be on the beaches. So stay alert, and fight smart. Now, break times over, back in the subs."

Sokka, Toph, and Momo go down first, which leaves Aang and I standing together.

He turned to look at me and says, "Katara, I..." as I say at the same time, "Aang, I..."

"You go first," Aang tells me.

I take a deep breath.

"We've been through so many things together, and I've seen you grow up so much. You're not that little goofy kid I found in the iceberg anymore."

He blushes.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm really proud of you."

"Everything's gonna be different after today, isn't it?" Aang says sadly.

"Yes, it is." I respond.

"What if..." Aang trails off, "what if I don't come back?"

"Aang, don't say that, of course you'll-"

I'm cut off as Aang kisses me. I blush and watch sadly as Aang flies away on his glider.

Tentatively, I touch my lips, thinking of how _right_ his felt on mine.

 _"You liked it. We've been over this. You liked_ it, _you like_ him _, and you like the idea of being_ his _,"_ my stupid inner voice sing-songs.

Out of the blue, I hear Sokka asking, "Katara, what are you doing? It's time to submerge."

I'm snapped out of my daze and brought back to reality.

"What? Right, I'm on it," as I go below deck, still thinking of a certain airbender.

The invasion goes on as planned, with Aang heading towards the palace, and everyone else working their way up.

However, Dad gets hurt, and the Fire Lord is nowhere to be found. We have no choice to retreat as the eclipse comes to a close, but the subs are destroyed. The youngest of the invasion force go with Sokka, Toph, Aang, and me on Appa, while the adults stay back and let themselves be captured.

 _"_ _I hope they'll be okay,"_ I think as we fly away.

* * *

**Western Air Temple**

**"The Western Air Temple"**

After the whole situation with the invasion, Haru, Teo, The Duke, Sokka, Toph, Aang, Momo, Appa, and I make our way to the Western Air Temple. Appa gets too tired to carry us at one point, so we continue on foot, and find the Air Temple on the edge of a cliff.

Haru, Teo, and the Duke go off exploring, but the rest of us need a new game plan.

"We need to decide what we're gonna do now, and since you're the Avatar, maybe you should be a part of this," I say to Aang.

He sits down on a rock and says, "Fair enough. So, what's the new plan?"

"Well, if you ask me, the new plan is the old plan!" my brother says, "You just need to master all four elements and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes."

"Oh, yeah. That's great, no problem. I'll just do that."

"Aang, no one said it's going to be easy," I say.

"Well, it's not even gonna be possible! Where am I supposed to get a firebending teacher?"

"We could look for Jeong Jeong!" "

Yeah ... right," Aang lies down on the bench, "Like we'll ever run into Jeong Jeong again."

"Who's..." Toph starts, having never met him, "Oh," she folds her arms, "Never mind. If it's important I'll find out."

"Oh well," Aang says, getting up, "guess we can't come up with anybody. Why don't we just take a nice tour around the temple?" as he and Momo fly off.

"What's up with him?" Toph asks.

Sokka puts his fingers on his chin, looking deep in thought, "There's gotta be someone who can teach him firebending."

We follow Aang after he flies off, trying to get him to focus, but he just ignores and avoids us, true to his airbending nature.

He's about to show us a giant Pai Sho table when Zuko shows up.

"Hello..." he raises his arm and waves, "Zuko here."

The four of us prepare to attack.

"Hey, I heard you guys flying around down there, so, I just thought I'd wait for you here."

Appa growls and licks Zuko, surprising Aang and Momo as Aang begins to lower his staff.

"I know you must be surprised to see me here."

Sokka cuts in, "Not really, since you've followed us all over the world.

"Right. Well, uh... anyway... what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I, uhhh, I'm good now, and well I think I should join your group, oh, and I can teach firebending to you."

Toph, Sokka, Aang, and I are thoroughly shocked.

"See, I, uhhh..."

Toph interrupts, "You want to _what_ now?"

"You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!" I exclaim.

"Yeah, all you've ever done is hunt us down and try to capture Aang!" Sokka says.

"I've done some good things! I mean, I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something!"

Appa licks Zuko again.

"Appa does seem to like him." Toph says less aggressively.

"He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it," Sokka points out, suspicious.

"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past."

"Like when you attacked our village?"

"Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?"

"Look, I admit I've some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should have sent that Fire Nation assassin after you."

Toph and Sokka's eyes widen.

"I'm going to try and stop-"

My brother pulls out his boomerang, furious, "Wait, you sent Combustion Man after us?"

"Well, that's not his name, but-"

"Ohhh, sorry. I didn't mean to insult your friend!"

"He's not my friend!"

Toph yells, "That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!"

Zuko turns to Aang.

"Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me."

Aang turns to us as Sokka shakes his head.

"There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done. We'll never let you join us."

"You need to get out of here," I say, ready to attack if the situation calls for it, "Now."

"I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore!"

"Either you leave, or we attack."

"If you won't accept me as a friend, then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner."

He kneels, bends his head downwards, and holds out his arms in surrender.

"No, we won't!"

I blast water at Zuko.

"Get out of here, and don't come back!" I yell, "And if we ever see you again, well, we'd better not see you again!"

The four of us watch as he walks away.

 _"The nerve of that guy! Thinking we would forgive him for all that he's done and believe his lies!"_ I think angrily.

I demand, "Why would he try to fool us like that?"

"Obviously he wants to lead us into some kind of trap," Sokka says.

_"He just tries to make you feel sorry for him, let your guard down, and then strike, just like in Ba Sing Se!"_

Aang interrupts Sokka and I ranting about how evil Zuko is.

"I kind of have a confession to make," he starts, "Remember when you two were sick and I got captured by Zhao?"

Sokka asks angrily, "And you made us suck on frozen frogs? How could I forget? I had a wart on the flap that hangs down from the back of my throat for a month!"

"Sokka," I begin exasperatedly, "I looked at it, and I told you, there was nothing there!"

"I could feel it! It's my throatal flap!"

"Anyway," Aang continues, "when Zhao had me chained up, it was Zuko who came in and got me out. He risked his life to save me."

"No way! I'm sure he only did it so he could capture you himself!" I argue.

"Yeah, face it Aang, you're nothing but a big prize to him," Sokka adds.

"You're probably right."

"And what was all that crazy stuff about setting Appa free? What a liar!"

"Actually, he wasn't lying," Toph cuts in.

"Oh, hooray! In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn't add animal cruelty to the list."

"I'm just saying that, considering his messed-up family and how he was raised, he could have turned out a lot worse."

"You're right, Toph! Let's go find him and give him a medal. The "not as much of a jerk as you could have been" award!" I say dryly.

"All I know is that while he was talking to us, he was sincere. Maybe you're all just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly."

"Easy for you to say! You weren't there when he had us attacked by pirates!"

"Or when he burned down Kyoshi Island!" Sokka added.

"Or when he tried to capture me at the Fire Temple!"

"Why would you even try to defend him?" I exclaim.

"Because Katara, you're all ignoring one crucial fact!"

Toph pokes Aang in the chest.

"Aang needs a firebending teacher! We can't think of a single person in the world to do the job! Now one shows up on a silver platter, and you won't even think about it?"

She stomps her feet on the ground.

"I'm _not_ having Zuko as my teacher!"

"You're darn right you're not, buddy."

"Well, I guess that settles that."

"Ergh! I'm beginning to wonder who's really the blind one around here!" as she turns around and walks away.

The next day at breakfast, I notice Toph hasn't come back.

No one else had seen her since the day before, so we all decide to go look for her.

While searching for her, we suddenly hear a large rumble, and out comes Toph from a hole she earthbended in the wall.

"What happened?" I ask worriedly, noticing how she's crawling.

"My feet got burned!"

"Oh no, what happened?"

"I just told you, my feet got burned!"

"I meant how."

"Well, I kind of went to see Zuko last night," Toph admits sheepishly.

There is a split second of silence before everyone starts yelling at the same time.

"You what?"

"Zuko?"

"Uhhh...!"

Toph reveals that she thought he could be helpful and that we could work something out, while I try to heal her feet.

"So he attacked you?" Sokka asks.

"Well, he did, and he didn't. It was sort of an accident."

"But he did firebend at you?" Aang inquires.

Toph sighs, "Yes."

"See? You trusted Zuko, and you got burned. Literally!"

Sokka and Aang decide that we have to go after Zuko because he's too dangerous to be left alone. The plan, according to Sokka, is to get Zuko to offer himself as prisoner but _actually_ take him as a prisoner this time.

"You are a master of surprise, Sokka..." I comment sarcastically as they both carry Toph to the fountain.

"Ahhh, that's the stuff," she says as her feet are dipped into the water.

Suddenly, out of the blue, we hear an explosion and Zuko shouting, "Stop!"

We run away, Sokka and Aang carrying Toph, and hear in the distance Zuko yelling at Combustion Man to stop as Combustion Man continues to attack.

Aang stands up from behind the fountain pool, runs to the side, and airbends with a spinning back kick, jumping right before the ground underneath him explodes. Aang continues to airbend at Combustion Man, leaping and narrowly missing each exploding ledge before going to a new one.

Before long, I join the foray, bending waves and icicles at our attacker, but even with our double attacks, nothing seems to be fazing Combustion Man.

Eventually, both Aang and I are forced to retreat behind a wall, out of sight.

"He's going to blast this whole place right off the cliff side!" Toph yells.

I peek out from behind the wall only to see another blast.

Sokka pauses, thinking for a moment, before his face lights up.

He takes out his boomerang, sneaks his head out beyond the protection of the wall, aims the weapon, and throws it, hitting Combustion Man's third eye tattoo head on, causing him to collapse on the ground.

"Yeah, boomerang!" Sokka shouts as he jumps and grabs it, before Combustion Man gets up, visibly shaken.

"Awww, boomerang..."

The four of us run back to our hiding spot, but this time, something is different with Combustion Man. When he tries to fire his next shot, he causes an explosion around himself, destroying the building he was standing on.

Joined by Haru, Teo, and the Duke, all seven of us watch the aftermath of what just transpired in shock.

Later, Zuko approaches us again, asking for another chance.

"Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday, I've been through a lot in the last few years and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow, my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right. All I want to do now is play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world."

He turns to Toph.

 _"_ I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending, so I don't hurt people unintentionally."

Aang stares at Zuko in shock, before taking a minute to think.

"I think you _are_ supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara, and after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I'd like you to teach me."

The two bow to each other.

"Thank you. I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group."

"Not so fast," Aang says,"I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them."

He looks at Toph.

"Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?"

"Go ahead and let him join."

She pounds her fist into her palm.

"It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet."

Aang looks at my brother.

"Sokka?"

"Hey, all I want is to defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then, I'm all for it."

Aang approaches me last.

 _"_ Katara?"

I glare at Zuko for a moment, before saying reluctantly, "I'll go along with whatever you think is right."

Aang smiles as Zuko approaches the group excitedly.

"I won't let you down! I promise!

After some time, I decide I need to make a few things _very_ clear to Zuko.

I approach his room and stand in the doorway threateningly.

"You might have everyone else here buying your..." I try to think of the right word,"...transformation, but you and I both know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past."

I walk closer to him, trying to look intimidating.

"So let me tell you something, right now. You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends... right then and there. Permanently."

I walk away and slam the door.

 _"_ _No one hurts Aang. Not if I have anything to say about it,"_ I think fiercely.

* * *

**Ember Island**

**"The Ember Island Players"**

The now five members of our group decide that we need to lay low for a while, and stay in Zuko's family's vacation home on Ember Island.

We all settle in, and Sokka and Suki go to town. When they come back, they show us a poster for the play 'The Boy In the Iceberg", by the playwright Pu-On Tim, performed by the 'critically acclaimed' Ember Island Players.

"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea to attend a play about ourselves?" I ask skeptically.

"Come on, a day at the theater? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing!" he responds.

The six of us eventually all decide that we need a break, so that night, we head to the theater to watch the play, Aang wearing a hat to cover his tattoos.

We all get comfortable, Zuko, Toph, Aang, and I in the first row, Sokka and Suki behind us, and the play begins.

The curtain rises to reveal something that I assume is to be the Southern Seas near the South Pole, the actor versions of Sokka and I rowing a boat.

Actress Me sighs.

"Sokka, my only brother! We constantly roam these icy South Pole seas, and yet never do we find anything fulfilling!"

"All I want is a full feeling in my stomach! I'm starving!"

_"We don't sound like that!"_

The rest of the audience laughs, as Sokka and I look at each other, wondering if that's what we're really like.

I try to watch the rest of the play, but it very quickly becomes _very_ difficult, with Actress Me going on and on about hope.

"Every day, the world awaits a beacon to guide us, yet none appears! Still, we cannot give up hope! For hope, is all we have! And we must never relinquish it, even... even to our dying breath!"

I hear Suki try to supress a snicker, while Sokka looks over at me with an amused smile.

 _"I DON'T SOUND LIKE THAT!"_ I think angrily.

The scene changes to a model iceberg with a shadow behind it.

I see Aang smile as he leans forward in his seat, eagerly waiting for his entrance.

"Waterbend! Hi-yah!" Actress Me yells, doing a karate chop as the prop iceberg splits in half.

I watch the play version of Aang coming out of the iceberg, and _try_ to stifle my laughter.

The girl trying to play him winks and poses, seemingly bald with arrows and wearing an excessive amount of blush.

Aang briefly closes his eyes, before cringing, eyes bugging out.

"Wait, is that a woman playing me?" he asks.

Actress Me gasps.

"An airbender! My heart is so full of hope, that it's making me tearbend!"

The play continues to go through a few more of our adventures, including Kyoshi Island, Omashu, Jet, and the Northern Water Tribe, making everyone in our group who appeared so far cringe at the depictions until it was finally time for the intermission.

"So far, this intermission is the best part of the play," Zuko says.

_"No argument here."_

"At least the Sokka actor kind of looks like you!" Aang says angrily, "That woman playing the Avatar doesn't resemble me at all!"

"I don't know, you are more in touch with you feminine side than most guys," Toph says, not helping things one bit.

Aang stands up.

"Argh!"

"Relax, Aang," I start, "They're not accurate portrayals. It's not like I'm a preachy crybaby who can't resist giving overemotional speeches about hope all the time."

Everyone stares at me.

"What?"

Aang says sarcastically, "Yeah, that's not you at all."

" _Well,_ _I'm sorry for trying to help!_ " I think frustratedly, wisely choosing to keep my mouth shut.

"Listen friends, it's obvious that the playwright did his research. I know it must hurt, but what you're seeing up there on that stage is the truth," Toph says.

Once the intermission is over, we go back and sit in our seats, seeing the set change to the Earth Kingdom.

"Well, here we are in the Earth Kingdom!" Actress Me says.

" I'd better have a look around to see if I can find an earthbending teacher!" Actress Aang declares, jumping into the air with her mini air glider prop, flying all around the theater before returning to the stage.

"I flew all over town, but I couldn't find a single earthbending master!"

Toph says in anticipation, "Here it comes..."

"You can't find an earthbending master in the sky, you have to look underground!" Act **or** Toph yells.

"Who are you?" Actress Aang asks.

Actor Toph spits and flexes.

"My name's Toph, because it sounds like tough, and that's just what I am!

"Wait a minute," Toph says, "I sound like a guy. A really buff guy."

"Well Toph, what you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn't it?" I say, wanting to rub it in her face so badly.

"Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have cast it any other way! At least it's not a flying bald lady!"

Like before, the play runs through more of our introduction to Toph, before switching to when Azula drilled the Ba Sing Se wall.

"If she continues drilling, this wall will come down for sure!" Actress Aang exclaims.

"Haha, yes!" Actress Azula cackles, "Continue drilling! The city of Ba Sing Se can hide no longer!"

The scene cuts to Actor Jet jumping and waving his hook hands.

"No, Jet! What did they do to you?" Actress Aang asks, seemingly horrified.

"Must... serve... Earth King..." he says, swinging his hooks wildly, "Must... destroy!", before he falls down, seemingly dead.

The scene cut again to the crystal catacombs underneath Ba Sing Se.

"I have to admit Prince Zuko, I really find you attractive!" Actress Me says.

 _"Yuck!_ " I think, sticking my tongue out.

"You don't have to make fun of me," Actor Zuko replies.

"But I mean it! I've had eyes for you since the day you first captured me!"

Zuko and I scoot away from each other, very uncomfortable.

"Wait, I thought you were the Avatar's girl!"

Actress Me laughs.

"The Avatar? Why, he's like a little brother to me! I certainly don't think of him in a romantic way. Besides, how could he ever find out about... this?"

 _"Do I feel that way?"_ I ask myself.

 _"Or does Aang mean more to me?_ "

I hear someone get up from their seat as I continue to watch the play.

The scene changes once more to Actor Zuko standing between Actor Iroh and Actress Azula, asking him to choose between his nation or a life of treachery.

Actor Zuko walks toward Actor Iroh, but pushes him over and yells, "I hate you, Uncle! You smell, and I hate you for all time!"

I ask Zuko, "You didn't really say that, did you?"

He responds with, "I might as well have."

The scene changes to the showdown between Azula and us as I watch Actress Azula shoot lightning into Actress Aang.

"The Avatar is no more!"

The audience applaud loudly as the lights come back on, signaling another intermission.

"Does anyone know where Aang is?" I ask, noticing his absence.

"He left to get me fire gummies, like, ten minutes ago. And I'm still waiting!"

"I'm gonna check outside."

I see Aang standing alone on a balcony and walk up to him.

"Are you alright?" I inquire.

Aang says in an angry voice, "No, I'm not! I hate this play!" as he throws his hat on the ground.

"I know it's upsetting, but it sounds like you're overreacting."

"Overreacting? If I hadn't blocked my chakra, I'd probably be in the Avatar State right now!"

"Katara, did you really mean what you said in there?" Aang asks after a long silence.

"In where? What are you talking about?"

"On stage, when you said I was just like a... brother to you, and you didn't have feelings for me."

"I didn't say that. An actor said that."

_"Besides, I'm not sure what I feel for you."_

"But it's true, isn't it? We kissed at the Invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we're not."

"Aang, I don't know."

"Why don't you know?"

"Because, we're in the middle of a war, and, we have other things to worry about. This isn't the right time."

"Well, when is the right time?"

"Aang, I'm sorry, but right now I'm just a little confused."

I watch in slow motion as Aang tries to kiss me again.

"I just said I was confused! I'm going inside," I say as I walk away.

After the intermission, Aang joins the group again, thoroughly avoiding and ignoring me.

The scene had changed to the submarines during the Invasion, but to be honest, I wasn't really paying attention.

My mind wanders as I hear little glimpses of the script, signaling what had happened.

I start to focus once more on the play when I see the scene change to what is supposed to happen during the comet.

"With the energy harnessed from that comet, no one will be able to stop the Fire Nation!" Actor Ozai shouts.

"Father, Zuko and the Avatar are at the Palace. They're trying to stop you!" Actress Azula says as she enters.

"You take care of Zuko. I shall face the Avatar myself!"

Actor Zuko jumps on stage as a rope lowers Actress Aang.

"Aang! You find the Fire Lord, I'll hold her off!" Actor Zuko exclaims.

Actress Aang gets lifted off the stage once more.

"You are no longer my brother. You are an enemy!" hisses Actress Azula.

"No! I am the rightful heir to the throne!"

"We'll see!"

The two actors have a battle with blue and red streamers, before a flame-like prop covers Actor Zuko as he yells, "Honor!" before disappearing.

The scene changes to Ozai vs. Aang.

"So, you have mastered all four elements?"

"Yeah, and now you're going down!"

"No! It is you who are going down! You see, you are too late! The comet is already here, and I'm unstoppable!"

Actor Ozai fires a constant stream of red streamers at Actress Aang, before he sends a large red sheet towards her and she falls to the stage yelling, "Nooooooo!"

"It is over, Father. We've done it!" Actress Azula says triumphantly.

"Yes! We have done it! The dreams of my father, and my father's father, have now been realized! The world... is... mine!"

The audience, except for us six, burst into applause, as we walk away from the theater as fast as we can.

"That..." Zuko begins, "wasn't a good play."

"I'll say."

"No kidding."

"Horrible."

"You said it."

Sokka argued, "But the effects were decent!"

* * *

**Fire Nation Coronation Plaza**

**"Sozin's Comet: Part 4: Avatar Aang"**

_"We did it. Aang defeated Ozai, and the war is finally over."_

It's time for Zuko's coronation, and Sokka and I go look for Dad in the Fire Nation Coronation plaza.

"Dad!" we yell when we spot him, run to him and giving him a hug.

"I heard what you two did. I am the proudest father in the world. And your mother would be proud, too."

The Kyoshi warriors approach us.

"There's my favorite warriors!" Sokka says, "I have to admit, I kind of missed the face paint. So how does it feel to be in uniform again?"

Ty Lee appears from behind, "It feels great!"

Sokka shields Suki and points his crutch at our former enemy.

"Careful, Suki! Ty Lee is pretending to be a Kyoshi Warrior again."

"It's okay. She's one of us now."

We all catch up on what has happened since we last saw the warriors, and before long, it's time for Zuko's coronation.

A gong rings as Zuko walks closer to the crowd, everyone cheering.

"Please. The real hero is the Avatar."

Aang walks up next to Zuko as the crowd cheers again.

"Today this war is finally over! I promised my uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation. And I will. The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided. But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right path and begin a new era of love and peace."

Zuko kneels as a Fire Sage approaches him with a headpiece.

The sage puts the headpiece into Zuko's top know as he declares, "All hail Fire Lord Zuko!", the crowd breaking into cheers as Zuko rises.

Later, we all go to the Jasmine dragon, Zuko serving us tea, Aang playing with Momo, Sokka painting a picture, and Iroh playing the tsungi horn.

 _"_ Zuko, stop moving! I'm trying to capture the moment," my brother says, "I wanted to do a painting, so we always remember the good times together."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Sokka," I respond as I look at Sokka's painting.

"Wait, why did you give me Momo's ears?"

"Those are your hair loopies!"

"At least you don't look like a boarcupine!" Zuko volleys back, "My hair is not that spiky!"

Mai says, "I look like a man."

"And why did you paint me firebending?" Suki asks.

"I thought it looked more exciting that way."

Momo jumps onto the table and starts chittering.

"Oh, you think you can do a better job, Momo?"

"Hey," Iroh says, pointing at the painting, "my belly's not that big anymore. I've really trimmed down."

"Well I think you all look perfect!" Toph declares cheerily, making us all laugh.

I see, out of the corner of my eye, Aang going out onto the balcony.

I follow him silently with a smile on my face and turn to him as he smiles back.

I put a hand on his shoulder, before pulling him into a hug.

We blush as we break apart, and look out at the setting sun.

 _"The war's over. You're not confused, you know you love him. It_ is _the right time now! Kiss him! Tell him you feel the same way!_ " my inner voice shouts.

I turn towards Aang as he turns to me and passionately kiss him, as he returns it.

 _"Gran Gran was right. Our destinies really are intertwined..._ "

* * *

**Normal POV**

**Present Day: July 19th, 1** **04 AG**

**The Southern Air Temple**

The wedding had gone absolutely perfectly.

No rebel attacks, no exclamations of 'Oogies!" from Toph or Sokka, every little thread of the wedding dress right where it should be... It was bliss.

The two had first shared touching, meaningful vows, once in the privacy of the Southern Air Temple and once during the grand celebration at the Southern Water Tribe, along with a kiss, sealing the promise to be together forever. The toasts had gone as good as they could've with Toph and Sokka as some of the first to speak, and many embarrassing yet touching stories of the two had been shared.

As amazing as the celebration had been, there was still one piece left of the wedding, the more private, intimate part, the wedding _night_.

That too, had gone as perfectly as expected. The night had been filled with exploration, ecstasy, and pleasure, leaving both benders _very_ satisfied, both emotionally and physically by the end, which led to where the young couple was now.

Katara was lying on Aang's chest, their skin touching and limbs woven around each other so intricately that you couldn't tell where one began and the other ended.

She cuddled as close to him as possible, loving the way their bare bodies molded together, and giggled softly.

Her husband (oh how she loved being able to call him that) looked down at her, amused, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and asked, running a hand through her hair, "What is it?"

She looked up at him and smiled, "Before we left the South Pole 4 years ago, Gran Gran had told me that 'our destinies were intertwined'. I didn't pay it much attention back then, but I think I finally realize what she meant."

Aang grinned and pressed a kiss to her hair.

"I should _hope_ that our destinies are intertwined. After all, we _are_ married."

Katara rolled her eyes and softly kissed the spot where his heart was beating rapidly, the atmosphere between them instantly becoming much more intimate and loving as they stared intently into each other's eyes.

"I love you so much, Aang," she whispered, pouring her heart and soul into each word while keeping their gazes connected, "My _husband_ , my **_love_** , my **_soulmate_**."

He softly caressed her cheek, watching the woman in front of him adoringly as she nuzzled his hand.

"I love you too, Katara, my _love_ , my ** _life_** , my **_Forever Girl_**."

Both benders had tears pooling in their eyes at the absolute sincerity and devotion of each other's words.

The two shared a soft smile, along with gentle, passionate, loving kiss, much like the one they had shared earlier that day after their vows, wrapping their arms around each other to stay as close as possible.

They murmured to each other, "Good night," before sharing a few more soft kisses, blowing out the lamp, and cuddling together as they drifted off into a deep slumber.


End file.
